away goals rule

The away goals rule is used to decide the winner in two-legged football matches when the aggregate score is even. Goals scored in a team's away leg count double, so for example if the two results were Liverpool 1-1 Inter Milan and Inter Milan 2-2 Liverpool, the game would go to Liverpool. This rule takes priority over extra time and penalties.

The rule was first used in the early days of European club football (e.g. the European Cup), although it is now commonly used in many other competitions. One interesting consequence of the rule is that often, when a team is drawing on aggregate, it is effectively losing but could win the game with just one more goal.